Women and Opioids

The Office of Women’s Health released a final report on Opioid Use, Misuse, and Overdoes in Women. The study found that death rates from drug overdose for women are more pronounced in the rural South and Midwest. The report identified a possible explanation being that rural areas often lack access to treatment for substance use disorder.

Although opioid use rates are comparable in rural and urban counties, rural opioid users tend to be younger, unmarried, have lower incomes, and are more likely to lack health insurance, all vulnerabilities that may negatively impact their ability to seek treatment and recover. Little is known about what states with large rural populations are doing to combat opioid use disorders (OUDs) in rural communities.